The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-08-05

"What do you want of me-? What are
you doing here, anyhow" and, when he
had framed the two questions, he empha-
sized the displcasure evident from his
looks by Selling the woman by the arm
and pushing her toward the door. She
turned ashly pale as the man laid his hands
upon her and then drew her revolver,
which She almost thrust in his face.
Jim, y she said, her voice choking with
emotion, you must come home with me.
or | viii shoot you. ] have worked myself
nearly to death for You, Jim Arnott, aud
instead of helping me You steal my earn
iugs, and conn here to drink it up. We
have a babe at home, and God knows it
suffers for the want of something to eat.
Liz Is outside, and the poor girl is so faint
and hungry that she can hardly walk.
Look at mel the woman you promised to
cherish and protect, Jim Arnoft, in rags
almost to ~nakedness, and without a
moGthfal 70 eat since morning. We might
have been happy if you had let drink
alone. We might be respectable to-day
bit for your want Of manhood. Come
home. | say, or | will shoot you. as true
as there is 4 God ia heayeni'' She almost
sfrieked the last words, and Jim Arnott
was not so drunk that he could face The
glittering barrel Of the revolver. lie NUT
tered something as a sort of farewell to his
boon companions and then led the way
out, followed by the woman.
4 Blade reporter. who had Witnessed
the performance, walked after the trio.
A long distance out from the center of
the city the wife aid daughter almost
dragged the half drunken man into c
plain single story cottage. In a moment
a faint light CLEANED through the win
dows, which were devoid of shutter OF
shade. The interior OF the room was evil
dence enough Of the pinched poverty which
! dwelt there. A deal table, two or three
rough wooden chairs, an apology fer a stove,
and a cot constituted the feature ofthe out
fit. The reporter had only time to take a
eursory glance through the window, when
his attention was directed TO the cot. The
mother had stepped np to it as soon as she
had lighted the feeble lamp. Her back
was toward the reporter as she stopped
over the cot. But only for a moment.
| Suddenly she threw her hands wildly
above her haed, aud with an agonizing
cry that would have pierced tbs ~stoutest
heart, she fell across the cot. Arnott
| sprang toward his wife, aud, rough though
he was, lifted her tenderly up. Then, for
the first time, the reporter caught a
| glimpse Of the pale baby face that peeped
out from the sheet. The next instant Ar
mott had left the cottage and was tearing
down the street. A few minutes later
and he returned, followed by a doctor.
They entered the cottage; aud the latter
walked straight TO the cot, stopped over,
placed his hand over the child's heart,
withdrew it, knelt down and then placed
his ear close to the infants breast. AS he
arose he turned to the anxious parents.
who were watchino every movement close
ly, and shook his head. Another cry
from the mother, who again threw herself
on the couch, startled the reporter. The
doctor left the house, and the living were
alone with their dead.
1t was impossible to hear what was said
in tina house, but the reporter was a wit
ness TO what happened. For a long time
the mother lay motionless across the cot,
clasping the dead body of her infant to her
breast. Liz. ON the other side, was vainly
endeayoring to gether motherup. Finally
she arose and, going straight to where her
husband sat, with bis face buried in his
hands, touched him on the shoulder. Then,
taking one of his hands in her own, her
tear-strained face turned ~piteously toward
him, she led him, almost by sheer strength
to the cot. Then she spoke to him and he
knelt, she by his side. He raised his right
hand to heaven, and the reporter could only
see the woman's lips as they moved, but
the pantomine Was too real to be misnnder-
stood, and no man could take a lolier oath
than that taken by lanes Arnott in the
presence of his dead child.-Toledo Blade.